Automatic shoe polishing machine

ABSTRACT

An automatic shoe polishing machine is provided for polishing a shoe. The shoe, while on the foot of the wearer, is placed on a shoe support in an opening in the machine housing. Rotating side polish application brushes pick up polish from a dispenser and move along the sides of a shoe applying polish to the shoe. Rotating side buffing brushes follow the applicator brushes. After applying the polish, the applicator brushes move out of contact with the shoe so they will not contact the shoe as the are returned to their starting position. A brush applies polish to the toe of the shoe after which another brush buffs the toe. The movement of the brushes is coordinated by having the movement of the two toe brushes controlled by movement of the side brushes. The applicator brushes pick up polish from cavities in a polish dispensing body just before they move into contact with the shoe. The cavities are closed except when dispensing polish to keep the polish from being exposed to the drying effect of the air when the machine is not in operation.

United States Patent [191 Mullins, Jr.

[111 3,744,076 July 10, 1973 AUTOMATIC SHOE POLISHING MACHINE James N.Mullins, Jr., PO. Box 4398, Fort Worth, Tex.

[22] Filed: Apr. 26, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 137,337

[76] lnventor:

Primary Examiner--Edward L. Roberts Attorney-Hyer, Eickenroht, Thompson& Turner [57] ABSTRACT An automatic shoe polishing machine is providedfor polishing a shoe. The shoe, while on the foot of the wearer, isplaced on a shoe support in an opening in the machine housing. Rotatingside polish application brushes pick up polish from a dispenser and movealong the sides of a shoe applying polish to the shoe. Rotating sidebufi'ing brushes follow the applicator brushes. After applying thepolish, the applicator brushes move out of contact with the shoe so theywill not contact the shoe as the are returned to their startingposition. A brush'applies polish to the toe of the shoe after whichanother brush buffs the toe. The movement of the brushes is coordinatedby having the movement of the two toe brushes controlled by movement ofthe side brushes. The applicator brushes pick up polish from cavities ina polish dispensing body just before they move into contact with theshoe. The cavities are closed except when dispensing polish to keep thepolish from being exposed to the drying effect of the air when themachine is not in operation.

23 Claims, 20 Drawing Figures Pmmmwm SNEEI 02 0F A TTORNEYS PATEMEB JUL0 SHEET 030$ James N, Mull/n5, J 1? N VE N TOR A TTORNE Y5 Pmmcnm I 0 mSHEET 0k HF 10 James N. Mullins, Jr.-

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lav/3% ATTORNEYS PAIENTED 0'97! SHEEI 07 0F James N. MullinsJrr INVENTORA TTORNEYS PATENTED Jul 0 SHEET 080? James N. Mullins, Jr.

INVE N TOR ATTORNEYS PATENTEU 0W3 3. 744. 076

47 420 FIG. 10 45 400 FIG. 77

240 f James N.Mul1ins,JI.' 237 INVENTOR 25% W 244 I J I} BY W ,1. M 2470245 u 246 2450 j ATTORNEYS AUTOMATIC SHOE POLISHING MACHINE Thisinvention relates to an automatic shoe polishing machine, and inparticular to an automatic shoe polishing machine for polishing a shoewhile on the foot of the wearer.

Generally, the polishing of a shoe includes the two steps of applyingpolish to the shoe and buffing or brushing the polish-coated surfaces ofthe shoe. In the past, polish has been applied in two ways. One is tospray a liquified polish onto the shoe. The other is to transfer polishfrom a dispenser to an applicator brush or the like, which applies thepolish to the shoe. In automatic shoe polishing machines of the type towhich this invention relates, the user will be wearing the shoe as it ispolished. Where the polish is sprayed, it is difficult, if notimpossible, to keep from getting some of the polish on the socks orstockings of the shoe wearer. Also, some of the sprayed polish will fallon the various parts of the mechanism and increase the maintenanceproblems of the machine.

Using applicators, such as brushes, to transfer polish to the shoedecreases substantially the likelihood of getting polish on the socks orstockings of the' user of the machine or on the machine itself. Thiscomplicates the buffing step, however, since it is preferred to useseparate brushes or buffing cloths to produce a shine on the shoe andthe applicator brushes have to be moved out of the way of the shoe sothat they will not touch the shoe after the buffing brushes beginpolishing the shoe.

A further problem with using brushes to apply polish to the shoe isstoring the polish. Machines of the type to which this invention relatesare usually located in public places, such as train depots and air andbus terminals. They are usually coin operated and therefore unattendedexcept for periodic calls by a serviceman to collect, the moneydeposited and to service the machine. This means that the shoe polish inthe machine must stay moist and usable for a substantial period of time.

It is an object of this invention to provide an automatic shoe polishingmachine that applies polish to and buffs a shoe with separate brushesthat are so mounted and moved into and out of engagement with a shoethat each brush will perform its function in the proper sequence.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic shoepolishing machine that applies polish to a shoe with brushes and thatcoordinates the movement of the various applicator brushes and bufi'ingbrushes by having three different brush carrying carriages, with themovement of two of the carriages being controlled by the movement of theother carriage to insure that each brush performs its function in theproper sequence.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic shoeshinemachine that will operate for long periods without substantialmaintenance.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simple and reliablemechanism for moving the brushes for applying polish and for buffinginto and out of engagement with the shoe.

It is another objectof this invention to provide an automatic shoepolishing machine that includes a separate brush to apply polish to thetoe of the shoe and a separate brush to buff the toe of the shoe withthe movements of these brushes into and out of engages ment with the toeof the shoe being controlled by the I position of the brushes used toapply polish to and to buff the sides of the shoe to thereby coordinatethe movement of all brushes.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic shoepolishing machine having brushes that apply polish and buff across thetoe of the shoe so that the low areas between the wrinkles in the shoetoe receive polish and are buffed.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic shoepolishing machine that will maintain a supply of polish in a moist,paste-like, usable condition for a period of time that is normally alonger period than is required to use it up.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic shoepolishing machine that exposes to the air only the volume of polish tobe supplied to the applicator brushes with such exposure occurring afterthe machine has started an operating cycle so that the polish to bepicked up is exposed for a minimum length of time before being appliedto a shoe.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an automatic shoepolishing machine in which a substantially constant volume of polish ispicked up by each applicator brush for transfer to each shoe that ispolished with the volume exposed to be picked up isolated from theremaining supply of polish in the machine so that the remaining supplyof polish is not exposed to the air.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of this invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of thisspecification, including the attached drawings and appended claims.

The invention will now be described in detail in connection with theattached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of theautomatic shoe polishing machine of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the machine of FIG. 1 taken along line 22of FIG. 9 with the machine in its starting position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the shoe polisher taken along line 3-3 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 with the side polishapplicator brushes in position to pick up polish from the polish supplymeans;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of- FIG. 9 with the toepolish applicator brush moved into position to pick up polish from thepolish supply means;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing the toe applicatorbrush applying polish to the shoe toe;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing the side buffingbrushes shining the sides of the shoe while the side applicator brushesapply polish to the side of the shoe ahead of the buffing brushes;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 88 of FIG. 9 showing the toebuffing brush buffing the toe of a shoe;

FIG. 9 is a view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a view taken along lines 10-10 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the polish storage mechanism of themachine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 1212 of FIG. 9, showingonly the apparatus for actuating the polish storage mechanism;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13l3 of FIG. 2, showingonly the apparatus for moving the brushes for shining the side of ashoe;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line l414 of FIG. 3, showingonly the latches for holding the side buffing brushes away from thepolish dispenser while the side applicator brushes pick up polish;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line l15 of FIG. 3, showing onlythe latches for holding the side polish applicator brushes out ofengagement with the shoe as these brushes are returned to their startingposition;

FIG. 16 is a side view partly in section and partly in elevation of thepolish dispenser of the machine of FIG. 1 in the closed position;

FIG. 17 is a side view in elevation of the polish dispenser of FIG. 16in the open position;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along line 18-18 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 16; and

FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken along line 20-20 of FIG. 17.

The preferred embodiment of the automatic shoe polishing machine of thisinvention is located in housing 30, as shown in FIG. 1. The housingincludes spaced, parallel side walls 30a and 30b (FIG. 9). The forwardportion of the side walls are of reduced height and combine with frontend wall 30c to support plate 30d and provide a relatively low platformupon which a user of the machine can stand. The rear portion of the sidewalls combine with front panel 30c, back panel 30f (FIG. 2), and toppanel 30g to complete the housing. Top panel 30g is inclined toward therear of the housing so that printed operating instructions on the toppanel can be more easily read.

To use the machine, a person will place one shoe through opening 31 inplate 30d and front panel 30e onto shoe support 32. Handrail 34 isattached to the top of front panel 30e to allow a user of the machine tosteady himself while getting his shoes shined. Shoe support 32 ismounted on center beam 35 which extends lengthwise of the housingbetween the center of front end wall 300 to the center of rear housingwall 30f. The shoe support is of conventional shape, having a raisedportion to engage the heel of shoe 33 and limit its movement forwardtoward the front of the housing.

The machine includes brushes for applying polish to and for buffing thesides of a shoe on the shoe support. As best seen in FIGS. 3, 4, 7, and10, brushes 40 and 41 are provided for applying polish to the sides of ashoe on support 32. Brushes 42 and 43 are provided to buff the sides ofa shoe positioned on the support. Means are provided for mounting sidebrushes 40, 41, 42, and 43 for rotation and in position for anapplicator brush and buffing brush to move along each side of shoesupport 32 as the mounting means is moved parallel to the shoe supportfrom a starting position and back again. All the side brushes in theembodiment shown are circular in cross section, having a central tubularhub withradially extending bristles attached thereto. To simplify thedrawings, the bristles are not shown in detail. A broken circle is usedto indicate the outward extent of the bristles. The side brush mountingmeans includes first or side carriage 44 and shafts 45, 46, 47, and 48,which support brushes 40, 41, 42, and 43, respectively, for rotation.

The carriage includes carriage bed 49 that extends generallyhorizontally between side walls 30a and 30b of the housing, and meansare provided for mounting the side brushes and the shafts supporting thebrushes on base plate 49 for lateral movement relative to shoe support32. The lateral movement mounting means for brushes 40 and 42 will bedescribed first. It includes shaft 50, which extends through carriagebed 49 and which is supported for rotation by suitable bearing inbearing housing 50a. Arms 52 and 53 are supported for rotation relativeto shaft 50 also by bearings in bearing housing 50a. The arms areelongated flat plates that extend radially from shaft 50 generallyparallel to carriage bed 49 of the first carriage. Shafts 45 and 47 areattached to arms 52 and 53, respectively, adjacent their outer ends. Theshafts are generally perpendicular to the arms and substantiallyvertical. Brushes 40 and 42 are supported by the shafts at the properheight to brush the sides ofa shoe as the brushes are moved horizontallyby the shoe, while being movable laterally of the shoe by the pivotalmotion of supporting arms 52 and 53. In a similar manner, shaft 51 ismounted for rotation on carriage bed 49 of the carriage. Arms 54 and 55are pivotally mounted on shaft 51 and support brush shafts 48 and 46,respectively, for lateral movement relative to the shoe support.

The side brush mounting means includes means for rotating side brushes40, 41, 42, and 43 on their supporting shafts so that the brushes willrotatingly apply polish to and buff the sides of a shoe as the brushesmove along the sides of shoe support 32. In the embodiment shown (FIGS.3 and 10), the rotating means includes electric motor 56, which ismounted to the underside of side carriage base plate 49. Sheave orpulley 57 (shown in broken lines) is mounted on the output shaft (notshown) of motor 56. Belt 58 connects driving pulley 57 to pulley 59 torotate shaft 50. Similarly, belt 60 connects a driving pulley (notshown) mounted on the motor shaft and a driven pulley (not shown) whichis mounted on shaft 51 to rotate the shaft.

Shafts 50 and 51, in turn, transmit the power of motor 56 to thebrushes. Shaft 50 (FIG. 10) rotates pulleys 62 and 63 that are fixed tothe shaft. These pulleys rotate pulleys 65 and 66, respectively, throughbelts .64 and 67. Pulleys 65 and 66 are mounted for rotation on shafts45 and 47 by suitable bearings. Spacer bushings 65a and 66a are attachedto the pulleys and support brushes 40 and 42, respectively, on theirsupporting shafts at the same elevation. The spacer bushings alsoprovide a driving connection between the pulleys and the brushes. Asshown, hubs 40a and 42a have keys 40b and 42b, respectively, that engagecorresponding grooves in the spacer bushings.

As seen in FIG. 3, shaft 51 rotates brushes 41 and 43 through the samepower train. The shaft rotates sheaves or pulleys 68 and 72. Pulley 68drives pulley 69 and brush 41 through belt 70. Drive pulley 72 drivespulley 73 and brush 43 through belt 70a. Pulleys 69 and 73 are supportedfor rotation by appropriate bearings mounted on shafts 46 and 48,respectively, and drive the brushes in the same manner as describedabove in connection with brushes 40 and 42.

As best seen in FIG. 3, pulleys 63 and 72 have a diameter about doublethat of the pulleys they drive. The converse is true with pulleys 62 and68 that drive the applicator brushes 40 and 41. Thus, the applicatorbrushes rotate about half as fast as do buffing brushes 42 and 43, whichis preferred, since applicator brushes should rotate only fast enough tospread the polish evenly, whereas the buffing brush should do as muchwork as possible as it travels along the shoe.

Means are provided for moving the means mounting the side brushes 40,41, 42, and 43 parallel to the shoe support from a starting position(FIG. 2) and back again for an applicator brush and a polishing brush tomove along each side of said support and apply polish to and buff thesides of a shoe on said support. In the embodiment shown, the movingmeans first moves carriage 44 rearwardly from the starting positionshown in FIGS. 2 and 3 toward polish supply means 71 where theapplicator brushes 40 and 41 pick up polish in a manner to be describedbelow. The moving means then moves carriage 44 forwardly toward thefront of the housing past shoe support 32, where the brushes applypolish to and buff the sides of a shoe, and then rearwardly again to thestarting point.

The brush moving means includes means mounting carriage 44 for movementrelative to the housing in order to move the brushes along the side ofshoe support 32. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 9, the mounting meansincludes rollers 72a and 73a, mounted on side 74 of side carriage 44,and rollers 75 and 76 mounted on side 77 of the side carriage. Rollers72 and 73 ride in U-shaped channel or track 78 attached to housing wall30a, while rollers 75 and 76 ride in track 80 on housing wall 30b. Thetracks are parallel to each other and to the shoe support, generally.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 13, motor 82 is mounted on bottom 30h of thehousing. Motor 82 drives sprocket wheel 84, which drives chain 86 aroundthe wheel and around sprocket wheel 85. Sprocket wheels 85 and 87 aremounted for rotation with shaft 88, which is mounted for rotation bybearing assemblies 850 and 87a on bottom 30h of the housing. Sprocketwheel 87 drives chain 89 around itself and idler sprocket wheel 90. Allof the sprockets have-the same diameter; therefore, rotation of sprocket84 by motor 82 causes chains 86 and 89 to move in the same direction andat the same speed. Drive members 92 and 93 (FIG. 9) are attached toopposite sides of carriage bed 49 of carriage 44 and extend downwardlytherefrom alongside chains 86 and 89, respectively. Drive pins 94 and 95are attached to chains 86 and 89, respectively, and engage elongatedslots in the drive members to move the side carriage with the chains.For example, as shown in FIG. 5, pin 95 engages slot 92a in member 92and will carry the member with the chain back and forth between thesprockets as the chain is moved around the sprockets. From the startingposition shown in FIG. 2, motor 82 is actuated and drives chains 86 and89 counterclockwise so that the side carriage first moves rearwardlywithpins 94 and 95 on the top side of the chain drive. Then the pins goaround sprockets 85 and 87 and the carriage is moved forwardly in thehousing for the distance between each pair of sprockets and thenrearwardly again until member 96 (FIG. 2) extending from the undersideof side carriage bed or base plate 49 moves arm 97 of limit switch 98,thus turning off motor Means are provided for urging side applicatorbrushes 40 and 41 and side buffing brushes 42 and 43 into engagementwith a shoe on the shoe support as side carriage 44 is moved between thefront and rear of the housing. In the embodiment shown (FIG. 3),

springs 101, 102, 103, and 104 are connected between carriage bed 49 andpivotally mounted arms 52, 55, 53, and 54, respectively, to urge thearms and the brushes mounted thereon toward each other and toward a shoepassing between the brushes.

Latch means are also provided to hold the applicator brushes in aretracted position. In the starting position for the side brushes shownin FIG. 3, both the side applicator brushes and the side buffing brushesare in their retracted position. Side applicator brushes 40 and 41 aremaintained in the retracted position by latch means that includes hooks105 and 106, respectively. The hooks are pivotally mounted to sidecarriage bed 49, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 15. Hook 105 holds brush 40 inthe retracted position by holding pin 107, which extends from arm 52,against the force of spring 101. Similarly, hook 106 maintains sideapplicator brush 41 in a retracted position by holding pin 108, whichextends from arm 55, against the force of spring 107 urging brush 41.

Side buffing brushes 42 and 43 are maintained in a retracted position bylatch means that includes hook 109, which is pivotally mounted to theunderside of carriage bed 49 (FIG. 14). Hook 109 maintains butterfly cam112 in the position shown in FIG. 3 by holding arm 110, which isattached to shaft 111. Shaft 111 is mounted for rotation on sidecarriage 44 by sleeve 111a and is attached to and supports butterfly cam112 for rotation. Thus, in the position of FIG. 3, edge 113 of thebutterfly cam engages L-shaped member 114, which is attached to arm 54,and holds arm 54 and side buffing brush 43 retracted from the center ofthe housing against the force of spring 104. Similarly, edge 115 ofbutterfly cam 112 engages roller 116 attached to arm 53 and holds arm 53and side buffing brush 42 re tracted from the center of the housingagainst the force of spring 103.

As side carriage 44 is moved rearwardly after motor 82 has beenactuated, side applicator brushes 40 and 41 are released from theretracted position. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, theside applicator brushes are released by studs 117 and 118 (FIG. 4) thatextend horizontally from back wall 30f. The ends of studs 117 and 118engage the inclined ends of hooks 105 and 106, as the side carriagemoves rearwardly causing the hooks to pivot and release pins 107 and108. (See FIG. 15 where hooks 105 and stud 118 are shown.) Upon release,brushes 40 and 41 are moved inwardly toward each other by springs 101and 102. In this position, the side polish applicator brushes rotatinglypick up polish from polish supply means 71 as the chain driven carriagechanges directions and begins movement forwardly toward the shoe. As theside carriage continues to move forwardly, side polish applicatingbrushes 40 and 41 apply polish to opposite sides of shoe 33 resting onshoe support 32.

Means are provided to limit the distance the side brushes can be movedtoward each other by the springs at a given position of brushes. In theembodiment shown, template 120 is mounted below the shoe support on theunderside of center beam 35 (FIG. 7). Template 120 is a flat plate thatis generally oval in shape in the plan view. Its outer edge 121 extendsbeyond the shoe support on all sides. The template is mounted on centerbeam 35 so its edge 121 will engage sleeve 122, which is mounted forrotation on shaft 45 below brush 40, and limit the distance spring 101can move arm 52 toward the shoe support. A similar sleeve (not shown) isalso mounted on shaft 46 of side applicator brush 43 and engages theother side of outer surface 121 of the template. Generally, the shoeitself will limit the inward travel of the brushes as they travel alongthe side of the shoe. The main purpose of the template is to preventbrushes 40 and 41 from interfering with each other as they approach thetoe of the shoe and as they leave the heel of the shoe. It also keepsthe brushes apart when polishing a small shoe.

Before the side buffing brushes move along the sides of the shoe, theymust be released from their retracted position. Therefore, means areprovided for releasing the latch means holding the side buffing brushesretracted as the moving means moves the side buffing brushes forwardlyin the housing toward the toe of the shoe. In the embodiment shown, stud124 is mounted on housing bottom 30h in position, as shown in FIGS. 13and 14, such that the inclined front end of pivotal hook 109 will engagestud 124 as side carriage 44 is moved forwardly toward shoe support 32,pivot the arm upwardly, and release arm 110 from the hook.

Upon release of arm 110, springs 103 and 104 move buffing brushes 42 and43 toward the center of the housing where the shoe is mounted on theshoe support. In this manner, side buffing brushes 42 and 43 arereleased from their retracted position and moved into engagement withthe shoe. Sleeve 125 is mounted for rotation on shaft 47 above pivotingarm 53 and engages camming edge 113 of the template if brush 42 is notkept away from contact with brush 43 by the shoe itself. Similarly, asleeve (not shown) is mounted on the shaft 48, which supports sidebuffing brush 43 for rotation, and engages camming edge 121, if the shoeis small, such that the buffing brushes will be limited in their traveltoward each other.

After the side applicator brushes have traveled far enough along thesides of the shoe support to have applied polish to' the heel of theshoe, means move side applicator brushes 40 and 41 to the retractedposition. The means moving side applicator brushes 40 and 41 to aretracted position away from a position of contact with the shoeincludes spring-mounted rods 133 and 134 (FIG. 7) that are slidablymounted on bed 49 of the side carriage in sleeves 133a and 134a. Coilsprings 135 and 136 are mounted on rods 133 and 134, respectively, suchthat rod ends 137a and 138a are continuously urged toward a positionadjacent sleeves 133a and 134a. As side carriage 44 approaches the endof its movement toward front housing wall 300, after the side applicatorbrushes have passed the heel of the shoe, rods 133 and 134 engage stops137 and 138, respectively, on front housing wall 30c. As the sidecarriage continues forwardly, rods 133 and 134 are held stationary, thuscausing ends 1370 and 138a of the rods to engage and rotate pins 107 and108 until the pins are caught under hooks 105 and 106. After thecarriage has changed directions and is moving rearwardly, rods 133 and134 are gradually returned to the positions shown in FIG. 8 under theforces of the springs mounted on the rods. By retracting only the sideapplicator brushes, buffing brushes 42 and 43 continue buffing the sidesof the shoe as they return to the starting point, and the polish givento the sides of the shoe on the support by the side buffing brushesduring their forward trip is not marred by the application of additionalshoe polish by the returning applicator brushes.

After the side buffing brushes have moved rearwardly past the toe of theshoe and have buffed the shoe sides for the second time, means areprovided to place the side buffing brushes in a retracted position suchthat the buffing brushes will not contact the polish supplier when thebuffing brushes move past the polish supplier during the next cycle. Thebuffing brushes are retracted as the side carriage moves rearwardly inthe housing to the starting point shown in FIG. 3 where the carriagestops after hitting arm 97 of limit switch 98. As mentioned earlier, theside buffing brushes are retracted away from the center of the housingby the rotation of butterfly cam 112. The butterfly cam is rotatedclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 7 to the position shown inFIG. 3 by the rolling engagement of roller 126, which is mounted on thebutterfly cam against edge 127 of cam plate 128 (FIG. 3). The cam plateis mounted on the underside of center beam 35. When camming plate 128has rotated butterfly cam 112 to the position shown in FIG. 4, arm iscaught by pivotal hook 109 and buffing brushes 42 and 43 are againlatched in the retracted position.

Side applicator brush 40 actually engages the side of the toe of theshoe before applicator brush 41 as side carriage 44 moves forwardly fromthe polish supplier to the toe of the shoe. The force of spring 101urging side applicator brush 40 toward the side of the shoe may causethe shoe being polished to be moved off of the shoe support toward sideapplicator brush 41. In order to insure that the shoe is not moved toofar into the path of brush 41, retention plate 129 (FIG. 7) is mountedby L-shaped rod 130 to arm 55 of side applicator brush 41. The plateengages the toe of the shoe about the time brush 40 does and tends toequalize the lateral forces on the shoe. When brush 41 contacts the shoetoe, the forces of brushes 40 and 41 tend to cancel each other out andthe shoe remains firmly on the shoe support. Another retention plate 131(FIGS. 7 and 10) is mounted by L-shaped rod 132 on arm 53 that supportsbuffing brush 42. Buffing brush 43 contacts the shoe before buffingbrush 42 as the side carriage is moved rearwardly from the front of thehousing toward the shoe and tends to force the heel toward buffing brush42. The retention plate is positioned to engage the heel and equalizethe forces on the shoe until brush 42 can come into contact with theshoe.

In accordance with this invention, a brush is provided for applyingpolish to the toe of a shoe and a brush is provided to buff the toe. Inthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 6, 7, and 9, the toe applicatorbrush is brush 140. Means are provided for mounting toe applicator brushfor rotation. In the embodiment shown, second or toe applicator brushcarriage 141 includes first carriage section 141a and second carriagesection 141b. The two sections are pivotally attached to each other byhinge pins 142a and 142b. The toe applicator brush is attached to shaft143 which is mounted for rotation adjacent the free end of first toeapplicator carriage section 141a. Motor 144 is mounted on first carriagesection 141 and drives shaft 143 and toe applicator brush 140 by meansof belt 145.

Means are provided for moving toe applicator brush 140 from theretracted position of FIG. 2 at the rear of the housing to a positionfor applying polish across the shoe toe, as shown in FIG. 6. The movingmeans includes means mounting the toe applicator brush carriage for thedesired movement. First toe applicator carriage section 141a has rods146 and 147 extending outwardly from opposite sides 148 and 149 thereof.The rods engage the top surface of plates 150 and 151 mounted onopposite sides of the housing. The top surfaces of the plates throughrods 146 and 147 support the section of the carriage that supports brush140. The top surfaces of the plates are inclined such that toeapplicator brush 140 is first lowered into contact with polish supplymeans 71 and then lowered into contact with the shoe toe as the brush ismoved forwardly from rear wall 30f into contact with the toe of theshoe. Second toe applicator carriage section 142 is supported formovement relative to the housing by a pair of rollers on each side. Tworollers (only roller 154 is shown in FIG. 9) are attached to side 156 ofthe second section and roll along track 155 attached to housing wall30b. Rollers 157 and 158 are mounted on side 159 of second carriagesection 142 for movement along track 160.

The means moving both sections of the toe applicator carriage furtherinclude means urging the carriage sections toward a position at the rearof the housing. As shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and 9, the urging means includessleeves 161 and 162 attached to the bottom of sides 156 and 159,respectively, of second toe carriage section 141b. Sleeve 161 fits overand is slidable along rod 163, which is mounted on housing wall 30b, andsleeve 162 slides along rod 164 mounted on housing wall 30a. Spring 165is mounted on rod 164 and is compressed by sleeve 162 against stop 166as second carriage section 142 is moved forwardly in the housing.Similarly, sleeve 161 compresses a spring (not shown) mounted over rod163 as the second section is moved toward the shoe support. In thismanner, the springs, when compressed, urge side applicator brush 140toward the rear of the housing.

To move the toe applicator brush forwardly, latch means are provided toreleasably connect the second or toe applicator brush carriage to theside brush carriage so that this carriage will move the toe applicatorbrush into engagement with the shoe toe as the side brushes are movedalong the sides of the shoe. In the embodiment shown, latch hooks 167are pivotally mounted on pivot pins 168 extending from sides 74 and 77of side carriage 44. Only one such hook and pin arrangement can be seenin the drawings in FIGS. 6, 8, and 9, When the side carriage makes itsinitial move toward the rear of the housing, the inclined end surfacesof hooks 167 engage shafts 169 and 169a, which support roller 154 and158 on second toe carriage section 142, and move the ends of the hooksup and over the shafts. This connects the two carriages so that the toeapplicator carriage is moved forwardly with the side carriage, when itbegins its movement toward the front of the housing. As explained above,this causes toe applicator brush 140 to pick up polish from the polishsupply means and apply the polish across the toe of the shoe (as shownin FIG. 6). p

The latch means connecting the side brush and the toe applicator brushcarriage also includes means releasing the connection after the toeapplicator brush has applied polish across the shoe toe and preferablybefore side buffing brushes 42 and 43 move into engagement with thesides of the shoe. To release hooks 167, studs 170 are positioned on thehousing side walls to engage the inclined forward end of the hooks, asshown in FIG. 6, and pivot the rearward end upwardly out of contact withshafts 169 and 169a. This frees the toe aplicator carriage to return tothe rear of the housing under the force of the compressed springs, suchas spring 165, acting against sleeve 162.

When the toe applicator brush carriage has been moved back to the rearof the housing, the path is cleared for the release of side buffingbrushes 42 and 43 and for the lowering of toe buffing brush 180. Thelatch means, such as hook 167, allow the movement of the toe applicatorbrush to be easily coordinated with the side brushes by making theposition of the toe applicator brush carriage dependent upon theposition of the side carriage. This is also true of the toe buffingbrush.

Means mount toe buffing brush for rotation. In the embodiment shown,such means includes toe buffing carriage 181 comprising verticalmounting plate 180a and flange 181a that extends around the edge ofmounting plate 180a, except'for a portion across the bottom. Shaft 182extends through mounting plate 180a and is supported for rotation bybearing assembly 1820 mounted on the plate. Toe buffing brush 180 ismounted on shaft 182 for rotation therewith. Motor 183 is mounted onplate 181a. Drive belt 184 connects toe brush shaft 182 and motor outputshaft 185 and transmits power from the motor to rotate brush 180. Thebrush is rotated about a substantially horizontal axis that is generallyparallel to the longitudinal axis of the shoe so that bristles 186 thatextend radially from the axis of rotation of brush hub 187 will movetransversely across the toe of the shoe mounted on the shoe support.Preferably, the bristles of brush 180 are long enough to insure that theentire toe of the shoe is buffed. By mounting brush 180 so the bristlesmove laterally across the shoe toe, the bristles move in the samedirection as that of the wrinkles or creases in the leather of the shoetoe. Therefore, the bristles can get into the wrinkledvportions of thetoe so that a more thorough and lustrous shine is obtained.

Means are provided for moving the toe buffing brush mounting means sothat the brush is moved into and out of engagement with the toe of theshoe. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 6, 8, and 9, the movingmeans includes means mounting toe buffing carriage 181 for-movement in asubstantially vertical direction. Rollers 188 and 189 (FIG. 9) aremounted for rotation on flange 181a on one side of carriage 181, androllers 191 and 192 are mounted on the flange 181b for rotation on theother side. Rollers 188 and 189 engage U- shaped track 194 attached tohousing side 30a, and rollers 191 and 192 engage a similar track 195 onhousing side 30b.

Sides 74 and 77 of the side brush carriage support relatively wideflanges 196 and 197 that are inclined downwardly toward the rear of thehousing, as best seen in FIG. 8. Sled-like members (only member 198being shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 8) are attached to the bottom ,of the toebuffing brush carriage. Each sled member is positioned to engage one offlanges 196 and 197 and transmit the weight of the toe buffing brushcarriage or third carriage to the first or side brush car riage. Thesled members and the inclined surface on the side flanges are arrangedto raise and lower the third carriage to lower toe buffing brush 180into engagement with the toe of the shoe as the first or side carriagehas moved the side buffing brushes past the toe and after the secondcarriage has moved the toe applicator brush out of the way. Thus, as theside carriage is moved forwardly from the rear of the housing toward theshoe, the third or toe buffing brush carriage is maintained in theposition shown in FIG. 2 as long as surfaces 196a of the sled-likemembers are in engagement with the top portions of flanges 196 and 197on the side brush carriage. As the side carriage continues forwardly tothe position shown in broken lines in FIG. 8, the sled members will movedown surface 196b, the inclined portion of the flanges, and the toebuffing brush 180 will be gradually lowered until the brush is sweepingacross the toe of the shoe. When the side carriage changes directionsand begins moving rearwardly again, flanges 196 and 197 will raise thethird carriage and the toe buffing brush out of contact with the shoetoe. Therefore, the position of the toe buffing brush is dependent uponthe position of the side carriage through the reliable mechanicallyexpedient of slidably engaging camming surfaces.

Single pole, double throw switch 202 (FIG. 8) is positioned in the pathof side carriage to reverse the direction of rotation of toe buffingbrush 180 just about as the side carriage starts back toward the rearwall. This causes the bristles of the toe buffing brush to be movedacross the shoe toe from both sides of the shoe during the buffingoperation, which produces a more uniform shine.

In accordance with this invention, means are provided to supply the sideapplicator brushes with polish and means are provided to supply the toeapplicator brush with polish. In the embodiment shown, polish supplyingassembly 71 is mounted on center support beam 35 between the toe end ofthe shoe support and rear housing wall 30f asshown in FIG. 2. Referringto FIGS. 16 through 20, the assembly includes body 210. The body isrectangular in vertical cross section and is attached to beam 35 bymounting leg 2100 so that most of the forward part of the body is spacedfrom the beam. The body has three open-sided elongated cavities orgrooves. Cavities 211 and 212 are located on opposite sides of the bodyand cavity 213 extends across the top of the body. The body is locatedso that one of the applicator brushes will sweep one of the cavitiesduring each cycle of the machine. As shown in FIG. 4, when the sidecarriage is moved rearwardly, initially applicator brushes 40 and 41 arereleased from their retracted position to move into position to sweepcavities 212 and 211, respectively, to pick up polish in the cavities onthe bristles of the brushes to be transferred to the shoe. The body isalso positioned for bristles 140a of the toe applicator brush to sweepcavity 213 as the toe applicator brush carriage is moved forwardly withthe side carriage, as shown in FIG. 5.

Cover means are provided to close the cavities when not dispensingpolish. In the embodiment shown, sleeve 220 is mounted over the forwardportion of the body that is spaced from the supporting beam. The sleeveis movable between a first position, shown in FIGS. 16 and 19, coveringcavities 211, 212, and 213 and a second position, as shownin FIGS. 17and 20, uncovering the cavities to allow the applicator brushes to pickup polish out of the cavities.

Means are provided to move the cover between the two positions. In theembodiment shown, cover or sleeve 220 is rectangular in cross sectionwith a rectangular opening to receive body 210. Arm 220a is integrallyattached to the sleeve and extends downwardly alongside beam 35. The armis engaged by the end of machine screw 224a that is mounted on post 224.Base plate or carriage bed 49 of the side brush carriage carries thepost, and, as the side brush carriage moves rearwardly, machine screw224a will engage arm 220a and move the sleeve with the carriage to itssecond position uncovering the cavities in the body. Screw 224a can bemoved in or out relative to post 224 to adjust, to some extent, when theside carriage begins to move the cover from over the cavities to exposethe polish therein.

The cover is returned to its first position covering the cavities by thesecond or toe applicator brush carriage. As shown in FIG. 6, flange 225carried by carriage 141 engages the top of the sleeve and carries itwith the carriage as the carriage is moved forward by the side carriage.As shown in FIG. 6, the toe applicator brush has been moved intoengagement with the shoe and the cover has been moved over the cavities.

Means are provided for supplying polish to the cavities in the body tobe picked up by the brushes. The supplying means includes means forstoring a supply of polish and means for dispensing a predeterminedvolume of polish from the storage means each time the machine isactuated to polish one shoe. In the embodiment shown, storage container229 includes cylinder 230 and cylinder heads 229a and 22%. Polish may beplaced into the cylinder by a hand pump, such-as a caulking or greasegun 231, connected to fitting 233, which, preferably, is a Zirt orAlemite type fitting. The means for dispensing a predetermined volumefrom the storage means includes piston 234 in cylinder 230. Threaded rod237 is supported for rotation by bracket 238 that is attached to housingside wall 30b. Threaded nut 239 on rod 237 is held against rotation withrespect to the rod by setscrew 240a in clamp 240, which is held againstrotation by guide stud 241a that rides in vertical track 241 as not 239moves up or down rod 237. Sleeve 242 is positioned between piston 234and nut 239 and extends over threaded rod 237. Upward movement of thenut due to rotation of the rod causes the rod to move the sleeve and thepiston and displace shoe polish through opening 235 and into tubing 215.

Means are provided to actuate the dispensing means each time the machineis actuated to polish a shoe. In

the embodiment shown, bushing 243 is attached to the lower end of rod237 below bracket 238. The bushing has four pins, only three, 244, 245,and 245a are shown, that extend radially from the bushing degrees apart.One-way tripper 246 (FIG. 12) is mounted on rod 146 extending from side148 of toe applicator carriage section 141 (FIG. 9). The tripperincludes two discs 247 and 248 that are mounted side by side on shaft146. Disc 248 is held against rotation relative to the shaft by setscrew248a. Disc 247 is free to rotate within limits set by arcuate slot 248bin disc 248. Pin 247a attached to disc 247 extends into the slot and limits the rotation of disc 247 to that required to move pin 247a betweenshoulders 248s and 248d. Weight 249 is attached to disc 247 to urge thedisc to the position shown with pin 2470 against shoulder 248d. It is inthis position and moving to the left, as viewed in FIG. 12, when thesecond carriage is being moved by the first carriage toward the front ofthe housing to move the toe applicator brush into engagement with thetoe of the shoe. Therefore, pin 2471: will engage one of the four radialpins on bushing 243, such as pin 244 as shown, and rotate the bushingand threaded rod about 90. When the carriage moves rearwardly, pin 247bwill rotate the disc counterclockwise until the pin can pass whicheverpin on bushing 243 that is in the way. This action is shown dotted inFIG. 12. Weight 249 will then return pin 247a against shoulder 248d.

By rotating threaded rod 237 a known amount, here about one-fourth of arevolution each cycle, the distance that nut 239 moves can becalculated. By multiplying this distance times the area of piston 234,the volume of shoe polish transferred is determined. Preferably, thisshould be the amount required to replenish what was picked up by thebrushes. Assuming the brushes swept the cavities clean, then the volumedispensed should equal the volume of the cavities.

Conduit means are provided to conduct the polish from the dispensing orstorage means to the cavities. In the embodiment shown, tube 215connects outlet 235 from the cylinder to passageway 214 in body 210(FIGS. 16 The passageway extends part way through the body then formsthree branches 214a, 214b, and 2l4c. The branches extend at right anglesto the passageway with openings in both sides and the top of the body.

Cover 220 has three channels, 221, 222, and 223, positioned with theiropen sides facing the openings of passageway branches 214a, 214b, and2140, respectively. The channels are arranged to connect the passagewayswith the cavities to allow them to be filled with polish when the coveris in the first position (FIG. 16) and to disconnect the cavities fromthe passageway and the polish dispensing system when the cover is in itssecond position (FIG. 17).

With this arrangement, the polish is'pumped from cylinder 230 (FIG. 11),when cover 220 is in its second position, with the grooves that are toreceive the polish uncovered. Thus, at the time the polish is displaced,it cannot get to the grooves. Usually, however, there is a sufficientamount of air in the system to allow the polish to be forced out ofcylinder 230 by the compression of the air in the system. Then whencover 220 is moved back to its first position, the compressed air willforce polish into grooves 211,212, and 213. The polish is alsocompressible to some extent. This arrangement, although creating amomentary pressure increase in the polish dispensing system, simplifiesthe cover closing structure, which, as explained above, comprises flange225 on second carriage 141.

The shoe polish used can be any desired color or colorless. It should bepaste-like in order to be pumped in the manner described above. Theclearance between body 210 and cover 220 should be kept to a minimum.The polish, of course, will act like a good grade of grease and tend toseal the space between the cover and the body. This results in verylittle drying of the paste, and practically no drying occurs in thepolish in the cavities between operations of the machine. The new polishcoming into the cavities each time has been well protected from theatmosphere and therefore can keep a long period of time,

This shoe polishing machine is entirely automatic and is actuated by acustomer depositing one or more coins in slot 250, shown in FIG. 1. Thevarious electrical circuitry that provides for the actuation of motors82, 144, and 183, as well as the actual circuitry that provides theswitching accomplished by limit switch 97 and reversing switch 202, isnot shown. It is considered that the design of this circuitry may beaccomplished by any person having ordinary skill in the art of wiringsuch electrical devices.

GENERAL OPERATION An operator places his shoe on shoe support 32 anddeposits sufficient coins in coin slot 250. This starts all motors ofthe machine. As shown in FIG. 2, chains 86 and 89, which are movedcounterclockwise by motor 82, first moves side carriage 44 toward rearwall f of the housing. As side carriage 44 is moved rearwardly, twoevents occur. First, machine screw 224a engages downwardly extendingmember 220a of cover 220 of polish supply assembly 71 and moves thecover from its first to its second position exposing the polish-filledcavities in the body. Second, side applicator brushes and 41 arereleased from their retracted positions by studs 117 and 118 that extendforwardly from rear wall 30f of the housing.

When released, the brushes sweep exposed cavities 211 and 212 in body210 and pick up the polish therein as the side carriage reversesdirections. During the initial rearward movement, the side carriagelatches on to the toe applicator brush carriage.

As the toe applicator brush carriage is carried forwardly with the sidecarriage, toe applicator brush is lowered into contact withpolish-filled cavity 213, as shown in FIG. 5, and then into contact withthe shoe toe so that polish is applied across the toe of the shoe asshown in FIG. 6. As the toe applicator brush carriage moves forwardly,it actuates the polish dispenser and builds up pressure in the polishsystem. At the end of the forward travel of the carriage, back plate 225of the toe carriage has moved cover 220 to its first position andadditional polish is supplied to the polish dispenser.

After polish has been applied across the toe of the shoe, books 167 arepivoted by contact with studs causing the hooks to release their hold onroller shafts 169 and 169a. The toe carriage is now returned to itsoriginal position in the rear of the housing by springs it compressedduring its forward movement.

By this time, side applicator brushes 40 and 41 have already appliedpolish to the front portions of the sides of the shoe. Side buffingbrushes 42 and 43 are now released from their retracted position bymeans of stud 124 engaging pivotal hook 109. The forces of springs 103and 104 will move the side buffing brushes toward each other and thustoward the sides of the shoe. In the released position, the side buffingbrushes are in position to buff the sides of the shoe as the sidecarriage continues forward movement. As the side carriage continues tomove forwardly in the housing, side applicator brushes 40 and 41approach the heel of the shoe as shown in FIG. 7. At this point, theposition of the side buffing brushes (not shown in this Figure) is alongthe sides of the toe of the shoe.

After the side applicator brushes have applied polish to the heel of theshoe, they are moved away from the center of the housing into aretracted position as explained earlier. By retracting the sideapplicator brushes, the side carriage may now reverse directions andbegin movement rearwardly with only the side buffing brushes in positionto contact the shoe. Thus, the shoe has polish applied to it as the sidecarriage moves forwardly in the housing and is buffed as the sidecarriage moves in both the forward and rearward directions. This doublebuffing helps to insure that no unbuffed polish is left on the shoe.

Toe buffing brush 180 is lowered into contact with the shoe toe afterthe side buffing brushes have moved past the sides of the shoe toe ontheir way toward the front. Just as side carriage 44 is closest to fronthousing wall 30c, the carriage actuates switch 202 that reverses thedirection of rotation of the buffing brush. Therefore, as the sidecarriage now moves rearwardly in the housing after it has reversed itsdirection, the toe buffing brush is buffing the toe of the shoe in theopposite direction as it gradually rises away from the toe. In thismanner, the bristles of the toe buffing brush sweep across both sides ofthe shoe toe as well as the top of the shoe. As the side carriagecontinues movement rearwardly, the toe brush is raised out of contactwith the toe of the shoe by the side carriage in time to allow buffingbrushes to brush the sides of the toe of the shoe without interferencefrom the toe buffing brush. After the side buffing brushes have finishedbuffing the sides of the toe of the shoe, the brushes are moved to aretracted position by the rotation of butterfly cam 112. The sidecarriage then continues movement rearwardly until stud 96 actuates limitswitch 98 causing all the power to be shut off. This completes one cycleof the machine.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth,together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. An automatic shoe polishing machine, comprising a housing having anopening therein, a shoe support located in the housing to support a shoeinserted into the housing through the opening, a pair of side applicatorbrushes for applying shoe polish to the sides of a shoe positionedon thesupport, a pair of side buffing brushes for buffing the sides of a shoepositioned on the support, means mounting said side brushes for rotationand in position for an applicator brush and a polishing brush to movealong each side of said support as the brush. mounting means is movedparallel to the shoe support from a starting position and back again,means carried by the mounting means for rotating the side brushes tocause the brushes to apply polish to and buff both sides of a shoeresting on said support as the mounting means is moved along the sidesof said support, means for so moving the mounting means, means supplyingpolish to said side applicator brushes for application by said brushesto the sides of a shoe on said support as said side applicator brushesmove from said starting position along the sides of said support, andmeans for moving the side applicator brushes away from the support farenough to be out of contact with a shoe thereon after the sideapplicator brushes have traveled far enough along the sides of saidsupport to have applied shoe polish to the sides of a shoe on saidsupport so that the side buffing brushes can continue buffing the sidesof a shoe as the side brush mounting means is returned to the startingpoint, and the polish given to the sides of a shoe on the support by theside buffing brushes will not be marred by the application of additionalshoe polish by the returning side applicator brushes, a toe applicatorbrush for applying shoe polish to and a toe buffing brush for buffingthe toe of a shoe positioned on said support, means mounting the toeapplicator brush for rotation, means for rotating the toe applicatorbrush, and means moving the toe applicator brush mounting and rotatingmeans to move the toe applicator brush into and out of engagement withthe toe of a shoe on said shoe support, means for supplying the toeapplicator brush with shoe polish to be applied to the toe of said shoe,means mounting the toe buffing brush for rotation, means for moving thetoe buffing brush mounting means to move the toe buffing brush intocontact with the shoe toe, means for rotating the toe buffing brush tobuff the toe of the shoe to which the toe applicator brush has appliedshoe polish, and means for moving the toe buffing brush out of contactwith the shoe toe after the shoe toe is buffed.

2. The automatic shoe polishing machine of claim 1 in which the toebuffing brush is mounted for rotation around a horizontal axis that isgenerally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shoe support so thebristles of the brush will move across the toe of a shoe on the supportas the brush is rotated and in which the means for rotating the toebuffing brush includes means for reversing the direction of rotation ofthe toe buffing brush while the brush is buffing the toe of a shoe todirect the bristles across the toe from both sides thereof during thebuffing operation.

3. The machine of claim 1 in which the means supplying polish to theside applicator brushes is positioned adjacent the shoe support and themeans for moving the side brush mounting means first moves the mountingmeans to position the brushes to pick up polish from the polishsupplying means and then along the sides of the shoe support toward theback of the shoe to apply the polish to the sides of a shoe thereon.

4. The shoe polishing machine of claim 3 inwhich the means supplyingpolish to one of the side applicator brushes comprises a body having anopen-sided cavity therein, means mounting the body in the machine forthe side applicator brush to sweep into the cavity when it is in polishpicking-up position and rotated, a cover for the cavity that is movablebetween a first position covering the cavity and a second positionuncovering the cavity, means supplying the cavity with polish, means formoving the cover to the second position after the cavity has beensupplied with polish to expose the polish in the cavity so that the sideapplicator brush will pick up polish from the cavity when the brushmounting means is moved to polish picking-up position, and means formoving the cover to its first position after the polish has been pickedup by the side applicator brush.

5. The shoe polishing machine of claim 4 in which the means supplyingthe cavity with polish includes means for storing a supply of shoepolish, means for dispensing a predetermined volume of polish from thestorage means each time the machine is actuated to polish one shoe, andconduit means for conducting the polish dispensed from the storage meansto the cavity in the body of the polish supplying means.

6. The shoe polishing machine of claim in which the conduit meansincludes a passageway in the body, a channel in the cover that connectsthe passageway to the cavity when the cover is in its first positionwhereby the cavity is disconnected from the passageway while it isexposed to the sweeping action of the brush so that no additional polishcan enter the cavity during this operation and the polish in the channeland passageway in the body is not exposed to the air.

7. The shoe polishing machine of claim 1 in which the means supplyingpolish to the side and toe applicator brushes includes a body positionedadjacent the portion of the shoe support that supports the toe of theshoe, said body having three cavities therein containing shoe polish,two of the cavities being located on opposite sides of the body and oneon the top of the body, a cover mounted on the body and movable betweena first position covering the cavities to protect the polish in thecavities from the drying effect of the air and a second positionexposing the cavities, means for moving the rotating applicator brushesby the body in position for each brush to pick up the polish in one ofthe cavities to be transferred by the brushes to the sides and toe of ashoe on the support, means for moving the cover to its second positionexposing the polish in the cavities before the brushes are moved intoposition to pick up the polish, means for moving the cover to its firstposition, closing'the cavities, after the applicator brushes have movedaway from the body, and means for transferring additional shoe polish tothe cavities to replenish the polish picked up by the brushes.

8. The shoe polishing machine of claim 7 in which the means fortransferring polish to the cavities includes means for storing a supplyof shoe polish, means for dispensing a predetermined volume of polishfrom the storage means each time the machine is actuated, and conduitmeans for conducting the polish dispensed from the storage means to thecavities.

9. The shoe polishing machine of claim 8 in which the storage meansincludes a cylinder for storing a supply of polish and a movable pistonin the cylinder to force the polish out of the cylinder into the conduitmeans, and means to move the piston an incremental distance with eachoperation of the machine to transfer a predetermined volume of polish tothe cavities.

10. The shoe polishing machine of claim 8 in which the conduit meansincludes three channels in the cover having the open side of the channelfacing the body and position so each of the channels will be in fluidcommunication with one of the three cavities when the cover is in itsfirst position and out of fluid communication with the cavities when thecover is in its second position, said channels being connected to theconduit means to receive polish dispensed from the storage means and toconduct it to the cavities.

11. The shoe polishing machine of claim 7 in which the body isrectangular in vertical cross section and the cover comprises a sleevehaving an opening therein'of rectangular cross section in which the bodyis positioned to support the sleeve for sliding movement relative to thebody between its first and second positions, said opening being justlarge enough to allow such relative movement while providing asufficient closure for the cavities when in its first position to keepthe polish therein from drying out between operations of the machine.

12. The shoe polishing machine of claim 1 in which the side brushmounting means and the toe applicator brush mounting means includes twocarriages and means for independently supporting the two carriages forhorizontal movement relative to the shoe support, and in which themoving means includes means for moving the side brush carriage towardthe toe applicator brush carriage, latch means for connecting the twocarriages when the side brush carriage reaches a given distance from thetoe applicator brush carriage to move the toe applicator brush carriagewith the side brush carriage as the moving means moves the side brushcarriage to move the rotating side brushes along the side of a shoe onthe support and the toe applicator brush into engagement with the toe ofthe shoe, means for releasing the latch means to disconnect the twocarriages when the toe applicator brush has moved over the toe of ashoe, and resilient means for moving the toe applicator brush carriageaway from the shoe support.

13. The shoe polishing machine of claim 12 in which the toe buffingbrush mounting means includes a carriage for supporting the brush andmeans to guide the carriage for vertical movement to move the toebuffing brush into and out of engagement with the toe of a shoepositioned on the shoe support, said side brush carriage having a camsurface for supporting the toe brush carriage that is shaped to allowthe toe brush carriage to move downwardly to move the toe buffing brushinto engagement with the toe of a shoe on the shoe support when the sidebrush carriage is moved from its starting position along the side of theshoe support and to be moved upwardly to move the toe buffing brush outof engagement with a shoe on the support as the side brush carriagemoves back toward its starting position.

14. The shoe polishing machine of claim 12 in which the polish supplyingmeans includes a body having an open-sided cavity containing polish tobe picked up by an applicator brush and a cover movable between a firstposition covering the cavity to a second position exposing the polish,and in which the carriage for the side brushes is provided by means toengage the cover and move the cover to its first position when thecarriage is moved from its starting position to uncover the cavity toallow an applicator brush to pick up polish before being moved along theside of a shoe on the shoe support to apply polish thereto.

15. The shoe polishing machine of claim 14 in which the carriage for thetoe applicator brush includes means for moving the cover to its firstposition as the toe applicator brush carriage is moved toward the shoesupport by the side brush carriage.

16. The automatic shoe polishing machine of claim 1 in which the sidebrush mounting means includes means mounting the brushes for lateralmovement relative to the shoe support, a template having a camming edgemounted below the shoe support, and means resiliently urging the brushesinto engagement with a shoe on the support as the brushes are movedalong the sides of a shoe, means carried by the brush mounting means forengaging the camming edge of the template to limit the movement of thebrushes toward the shoe support and hold the brushes out of engagementwith each other when polishing a relatively small shoe.

17. The automatic shoe polishing machine of claim 1 in which the meanssupplying the side applicator brushes with shoe polish includes a polishstorage con-

1. An automatic shoe polishing machine, comprising a housing having anopening therein, a shoe support located in the housing to support a shoeinserted into the housing through the opening, a pair of side applicatorbrushes for applying shoe polish to the sides of a shoe positioned onthe support, a pair of side buffing brushes for buffing the sides of ashoe positioned on the support, means mounting said side brushes forrotation and in position for an applicator brush and a polishing brushto move along each side of said support as the brush mounting means ismoved parallel to the shoe support from a starting position and backagain, means carried by the mounting means for rotating the side brushesto cause the brushes to apply polish to and buff both sides of a shoeresting on said support as the mounting means is moved along the sidesof said support, means for so moving the mounting means, means supplyingpolish to said side applicator brushes for application by said brushesto the sides of a shoe on said support as said side applicator brushesmove from said starting position along the sides of said support, andmeans for moving the side applicator brushes away from the support farenough to be out of contact with a shoe thereon after the sideapplicator brushes have traveled far enough along the sides of saidsupport to have applied shoe polish to the sides of a shoe on saidsupport so that the side buffing brushes can continue buffing the sidesof a shoe as the side brush mounting means is returned to the startingpoint, and the polish given to the sides of a shoe on the support by theside buffing brushes will not be marred by the application of additionalshoe polish by the returning side applicator brushes, a toe applicatorbrush for applying shoe polish to and a toe buffing brush for buffingthe toe of a shoe positioned on said support, means mounting the toeapplicator brush for rotation, means for rotating the toe applicatorbrush, and means moving the toe applicator brush mounting and rotatingmeans to move the toe applicator brush into and out of engagement withthe toe of a shoe on said shoe support, means for supplying the toeapplicator brush with shoe polish to be applied to the toe of said shoe,means mounting the toe buffing brush for rotation, means for moving thetoe buffing brush mounting means to move the toe buffing brush intocontact with the shoe toe, means for rotating the toe buffing brush tobuff the toe of the shoe to which the toe applicator brush has appliedshoe polish, and means for moving the toe buffing brush out of contactwith the shoe toe after the shoe toe is buffed.
 2. The automatic shoepolishing machine of claim 1 in which the toe buffing brush is mountedfor rotation around a horizontal axis that is generally parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the shoe support so the bristles of the brush willmove across the toe of a shoe on the support as the brush is rotated andin which the means for rotating the toe buffing brush includes means forreversing the direction of rotation of the toe buffing brush while thebrush is buffing the toe of a shoe to direct the bristles across the toefrom both sides thereof during the buffing operation.
 3. The machine ofclaim 1 in which the means supplying polish to the side applicatorbrushes is positioned adjacent the shoe support and the means for movingthe side brush mounting means first moves the mounting means to positionthe brushes to pick up polish from the polish supplying means and thenalong the sides of the shoe support toward the back of the shoe to applythe polish to the sides of a shoe thereon.
 4. The shoe polishing machineof claim 3 in which the means supplying polish to one of the sideapplicator brushes comprises a body having an open-sided cavity therein,means mounting the body in the machine for the side applicator brush tosweep into the cavity when it is in polish picking-up position androtated, a cover for the cavity that is movable between a first positioncovering the cavity and a second position uncovering the cavity, meanssupplying the cavity with polish, means for moving the cover to thesecond position after the cavity has been supplied with polish to exposethe polish in the cavity so that the side applicator brush will pick uppolish from the cavity when the brush mounting means is moved to polishpicking-up position, and means for moving the cover to its firstposition after the polish has been picked up by the side applicatorbrush.
 5. The shoe polishing machine of claim 4 in which the meanssupplying the cavity with polish includes means for storing a supply ofshoe polish, means for dispensing a predetermined volume of polish fromthe storage means each time the machine is actuated to polish one shoe,and conduit means for conducting the polish dispensed from the storagemeans to the cavity in the body of the polish supplying means.
 6. Theshoe polishing machine of claim 5 in which the conduit means includes apassageway in the body, a channel in the cover that connects thepassageway to the cavity when the cover is in its first position wherebythe cavity is disconnected from the passageway while it is exposed tothe sweeping action of the brush so that no additional polish can enterthe cavity during this operation and the polish in the channel andpassageway in the body is not exposed to the air.
 7. The shoe polishingmachine of claim 1 in which the means supplying polish to the side andtoe applicator brushes includes a body positioned adjacent the portionof the shoe support that supports the toe of the shoe, said body havingthree cavities therein containing shoe polish, two of the cavities beinglocated on opposite sides of the body and one on the top of the body, acover mounted on the body and movable between a first position coveringthe cavities to protect the polish in the cavities from the dryingeffect of the air and a second position exposing the cavities, means formoving the rotating applicator brushes by the body in position for eachbrush to pick up the polish in one of the cavities to be transferred bythe brushes to the sides and toe of a shoe on the support, means formoving the cover to its second position exposing the polish in thecavities before the brushes are moved into position to pick up thepolish, means for moving the cover to its first position, closing thecavities, after the applicator brushes have moved away from the body,and means for transferring additional shoe polish to the cavities toreplenish the polish picked up by the brushes.
 8. The shoe polishingmachine of claim 7 in which the means for transferring polish to thecavities includes means for storing a supply of shoe polish, means fordispensing a predetermined volume of polish from the storage means eachtime the machine is actuated, and conduit means for conducting thepolish dispensed from the storage means to the cavities.
 9. The shoepolishing machine of claim 8 in which the storage means includes acylinder for storing a supply of polish and a movable piston in thecylinder to force the polish out of the cylinder into the conduit means,and means to move the piston an incremental distance with each operationof the machine to transfer a predetermined volume of polish to thecavities.
 10. The shoe polishing machine of claim 8 in which the conduitmeans includes three channels in the cover having the open side of thechannel facing the body and positioned so each of the channels will bein fluid communication with one of the three cavities when the cover isin its first position and out of fluid communication with the cavitieswhen the cover is in its second position, said channels being connectedto the conduit means to receive polish dispensed from the storage meansand to conduct it to the cavities.
 11. The shoe polishing machine ofclaim 7 in which the body is rectangular in vertical cross section andthe cover comprises a sleeve having an opening therein of rectangularcross section in which the body is positioned to support the sleeve forsliding movement relative to the body between its first and secondpositions, said opening being just large enough to allow such relativemovement while providing a sufficient closure for the cavities when inits first position to keep the polish therein from drying out betweenoperations of the machine.
 12. The shoe polishing machine of claim 1 inwhich the side brush mounting means and the toe applicator brushmounting means includes two carriages and means for independentlysupporting the two carriages for horizontal movement relative to theshoe support, and in which the moving means includes means for movingthe side brush carriage toward the toe applicator brush carriage, latchmeans for connecting the two carriages when the side brush carriagereaches a given distance from the toe applicator brush carriage to movethe toe applicator brush carriage with the side brush carriage as themoving means moves the side brush carriage to move the rotating sidebrushes along the side of a shoe on the support and the toe applicatorbrush into engagement with the toe of the shoe, means for releasing thelatch means to disconnect the two carriages when the toe applicatorbrush has moved over the toe of a shoe, and resilient means for movingthe toe applicator brush carriage away from the shoe support.
 13. Theshoe polishing machine of claim 12 in which the toe buffing brushmounting means includes a carriage for supporting the brush and means toguide the carriage for vertical movement to move the toe buffing brushinto and out of engagement with the toe of a shoe positioned on the shoesupport, said side brush carriage having a cam surface for supportingthe toe brush carriage that is shaped to allow the toe brush carriage tomove downwardly to move the toe buffing brush into engagement with thetoe of a shoe on the shoe support when the side brush carriage is movedfrom its starting position along the side of the shoe support and to bemoved upwardly to move the toe buffing brush out of engagement with ashoe on the support as the side brush carriage moves back toward itsstarting position.
 14. The shoe polishing machine of claim 12 in whichthe polish supplying means includes a body having an open-sided cavitycontaining polish to be picked up by an applicator brush and a covermovable between a first position covering the cavity to a secondposition exposing the polish, and in which the carriage for the sidebrushes is provided by means to engage the cover and move the cover toits first position when the carriage is moved from its starting positionto uncover the cavity to allow an applicator brush to pick up polishbefore being moved along the side of a shoe on the shoe support to applypolish thereto.
 15. The shoe polishing machine of claim 14 in which thecarriage for the toe applicator brush includes means for moving thecover to its first position as the toe applicator brush carriage ismoved toward the shoe support by the side brush carriagE.
 16. Theautomatic shoe polishing machine of claim 1 in which the side brushmounting means includes means mounting the brushes for lateral movementrelative to the shoe support, a template having a camming edge mountedbelow the shoe support, and means resiliently urging the brushes intoengagement with a shoe on the support as the brushes are moved along thesides of a shoe, means carried by the brush mounting means for engagingthe camming edge of the template to limit the movement of the brushestoward the shoe support and hold the brushes out of engagement with eachother when polishing a relatively small shoe.
 17. The automatic shoepolishing machine of claim 1 in which the means supplying the sideapplicator brushes with shoe polish includes a polish storage containerwhich is adapted to be refilled by a hand-operated pump.
 18. Anautomatic shoe polishing machine comprising a housing having an openingtherein, a shoe support located in the housing to receive and support ashoe thereon with the toe pointed toward the rear and the heel towardthe front of the housing, a pair of side polish applicator brushes, apair of side buffing brushes, a polish supplier located in the housingbetween the shoe support and the rear of the housing, means mounting theside brushes for rotation on substantially vertical axes and formovement on opposite sides of the shoe support and polish supplier asthe mounting means are moved forwardly and rearwardly in the housing,means carried by the mounting means for rotating the brushes, means formoving the mounting means from a starting point between the shoe supportand the polish supplier first rearwardly, then forwardly, and thenrearwardly to the starting point, means urging the side polishapplicator brushes into position to pick up polish from the polishsupplier as the moving means moves the side brushes rearwardly from thestarting position and to apply the polish to the sides of a shoe as themoving means moves the side brushes forwardly from the rear of thehousing toward the front of the housing, means retracting the sideapplicator brushes from the polish applying position after the brusheshave applied polish to the heel and before the applicator brushes movepast the shoe again on the way back to the starting position, meanspositioning the side buffing brushes to buff the sides of the shoe asthe moving means move the side buffing brushes forwardly in the housingpast the shoe and rearwardly past the shoe to the starting position,means placing the side buffing brushes in position such that the buffingbrushes will not contact the polish supplier when the brushes are movedrearwardly at the beginning of another cycle, as the moving means movesthe buffing brushes rearwardly from the toe of the shoe to the startingpoint.
 19. The automatic shoeshine machine of claim 18 further providedwith a toe polish applicator brush, means mounting the toe applicatorbrush for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, means rotatingthe toe applicator brush, means for moving the toe applicator brushmounting means from the rear of the housing into contact with the toe ofthe shoe, the moving means including means urging the toe applicatorbrush toward the rear of the housing, means attaching the toe applicatorbrush to the means mounting the side brushes as the side brush movingmeans move the side brush mounting means forwardly toward the toe of theshoe so that the toe applicator brush rotatingly picks up polish fromthe polish supplier and applies polish to the shoe toe, and meansreleasing the attaching means after polish is applied to the shoe toe sothat the toe applicator brush mounting means returns to the rear of thehousing.
 20. The automatic shoeshine machine of claim 19 furtherprovided with a toe buffing brush, means mounting the toe buffing brushfor rotation in a substantially horizontal axis, means rotating the toebuffing brush, means moving the toe buffing brush mounting meanssubstantially vertically to move the buffing brush into and out ofengagement with the shoe toe, said moving means including a surface onthe side brush mounting means for supporting the toe brush mountingmeans, said surface being shaped to move the toe brush mounting meanssubstantially vertically to move the toe brush into and out ofengagement with the toe of a shoe as the side brush mounting means ismoved forwardly and rearwardly of the housing.
 21. An automatic shoepolishing machine comprising a shoe support, a plurality of brushes forapplying polish to and buffing the sides of a shoe on the support, abrush for applying polish to the toe of a shoe and a brush for buffingthe toe of a shoe, means for mounting the brushes for movement into andout of engagement with a shoe on the support, said mounting meansincluding a first carriage for supporting the side polish applicator andbuffing brushes, a second carriage for supporting the toe polishapplicator brush, and a third carriage for supporting the toe buffingbrush, means for moving the first carriage to move the side brushes backand forth along the sides of a shoe on the support, means supporting thesecond carriage for movement from a retracted position to a forwardposition with the toe applicator brush in engagement with the toe of ashoe, latch means for connecting the first and second carriage for thefirst carriage to move the second carriage to its forward position,means releasing the latch means, means for returning the second carriageto its retracted position, a surface on the first carriage andsupporting the third carriage, said surface being shaped to hold thethird carriage in position with the toe buffing brush out of the way ofthe toe applicator brush as the first carriage moves the second carriageto its forward position and for allowing the third carriage to movedownwardly to move the toe buffing brush into engagement with the toeafter the second carriage has moved to its retracted position.
 22. Anautomatic shoe polishing machine comprising a housing, a shoe supportcarried by the housing, a pair of side applicator brushes for applyingpolish to the sides of a shoe positioned on the shoe support, a pair ofside buffing brushes for buffing the sides of a shoe positioned on saidshoe support, means mounting the side applicator and buffing brushes forrotation and for a cycle of operation during a first portion of whichthe side applicator and buffing brushes are moved in one direction withboth in contact with a shoe on said shoe support with the sideapplicator brushes preceeding the buffing brushes and in a secondportion of the cycle, the brushes are moved in an opposite directionwith the buffing brushes in contact with the shoe on said shoe support,means for moving the side applicator brushes away from the shoe supportduring their movement in said opposite direction so as to be out ofcontact with a shoe on said shoe support whereby polish is applied to ashoe while the applicator brushes are moving in said one direction andthe shoe is buffed while the buffing brushes are moving in both of saiddirections, means for rotating the brushes, and means supplying polishto said side applicator brushes during an initial portion of their cycleof movement prior to their contacting a shoe on said shoe support. 23.The automatic shoe polishing machine of claim 22 including a toeapplicator brush for applying shoe polish to and a toe buffing brush forbuffing the toe of a shoe positioned on said support, means mounting thetoe applicator brush for rotation, means for rotating the toe applicatorbrush, and means moving the toe applicator brush mounting means to movethe toe applicator brush into and out of engagement with the toe of ashoe on said shoe support, means for supplying the toe applicator brushwith shoe polish to be applied to the toe of said shoe, means mountingthe toe buffing brush for rotation about a horizontal axis which axis isparallel to the length of a shoe on said support, means for moving thetOe buffing brush mounting means to move the toe buffing brush intocontact with the shoe toe, means for rotating the toe buffing brush tobuff the toe of the shoe to which the toe applicator brush had appliedshoe polish, and means for moving the toe buffing brush out of contactwith the shoe toe after the shoe toe is buffed.